weekend thoughts

Not much of interest, but a few thoughts from the weekend.

Enjoyed hearing of the UK Masters tournament event.  Kept in touch via the wonder of Twitter.  It has made me fancy having a pop at a tourney this year.  Not because I think I'd win but simply because it seems to me there are a lot of fun people out there playing Malifaux and I'd like to meet some of them.
It seems filth lists were the order of the day.. There's some talk of wyrd needing to even things out, that some things are broken.  I don't see it myself, we've all got the choice..  If you want to win pick a master that will win.  If you're more interested fluff or models because of how they look then select accordingly, it's what I do.
A totally even game is a dull place to be.  As it is the power level shifts between books anyway so what does it matter?


Was able to spend a little more time on SnowStorm.  Have decided that rather than 2 mould lines it's really more like on large, wide line that's about 3 - 4mm wide.  Very tricky to clear up but I am getting there.

(c) Wyrd Miniatures

I've been doing some thinking and research as to a paint scheme for my December crew and I think I'm coming down on the side of White.  Which is going to be a pain.  I've painted white before when I started a white Scars Space Marine force.  What bothers me about it is that I really want to try and stay within a white pallet, white, cream, Ivory, a little shading in a pale brown maybe and that'd be it.  I've seen s few figures like this and they're superb, but, get it wrong and it'll be awful I think.  So my thoughts continue, but, if I can get this white/cream scheme straight in my head I may well go for it.

Talking of paint schemes, this thread on the Wyrd forums is well worth a look.  Mako's Crew(s)
Painting and sculpting of the very highest caliber.

snow storm

as mentioned on another post, I'm having a lot of 'fun' with snowstorm at the moment.
As the figure that was a key motivator in my purchase of Rasputina it's important to me that he's as good as he looks.  His effectiveness in the game for his cost is questioned by many and now he's causing all sorts of headaches to put together.

Resin is an odd material to work with.  It somehow manages to feel soft and brittle at the same time.  Removing mould lines with a scalpel is not generally tricky however SnowStorm has a double mould line through his hair.  It's a bitch.  Also the mould lines run down his arms and legs over the whorls engraved in to his body, removing those can, if you are not careful, make the whorls more shallow, be careful not overdo it or you might lose them.  Also, you get mold lines in the hair above his hooves.  Overall then, it seems to me, that he's a bit of a git to prepare perfectly.  This is his head after a couple of hours work.

2 hours work and still mould lines are visible.

If you look at the picture full size you can clearly see the dark line of a mould line, or what's left of it running from his shoulder across his head.  If you look down from that you can just make out a pale line paralleling the dark one.  These lines delineate a raised area on his head of 3 - 4mm in thickness.  It's a real pain to get rid of though easier now I've realised it's one large area not two small lines.

To remove these I am scraping with a scalpel, each hair individually at at least 2 angles.  I have, I think, removed a little too much detail from the hair in a couple of places but nothing that can't be renovated with judicious application of a scalpel or mounted needle.

I understand these issues can arise with these figures and that many people have Snowstorm figures with no blemishes at all, it's just a pity I picked a duff one.

Any air bubbles are confined to the bottom of his feet apart from a coupl eof smallish ones in his arm pit that will hopefully be covered up by his arm. If not some liquid Green stuff will sort it out.

On the positive side, all this preparation time is giving me plenty of space in which to come up with a paint scheme for the crew.  Though I can't see me straying far from the pale Blue/White which seems common, I can use this time to try and think of something original.

a start on rasputina and her crew

Had first hobby night in a while last night so I had grand thoughts that I'd quickly put together my entire Arcanists crew (Rasputina, 3 Ice Gamin, Ice Golem, Snow Storm, Essence of Power & Hoarcat Pride).  Actually I knew I wasn't going to get the Ice Golem done due to lack of 40mm base but otherwise I was hopeful.
Little did I suspect how SnowStorm was going to scupper my plans.

The SnowStorm model is the one, the driving force behind me going for a Rasputina crew.  OK I liked the Rasputina crew before SnowStorm but this model is just awesome and really swung me away from Colette.  So, first thing I head for on my Arcanist night?  No prizes, it's SnowStorm.

Snow Storm is a part Resin part metal kit, I take out the resin pieces, I have my tooth brush ready for a gentle scrubbing to remove any mould release agent left behind so it glues and paints perfectly first time.  But, first, mould lines, taking out my trusty scalpel I prepare to remove the mould lines.  This shouldn't take long, I'm sure it's a nice clean kit.
Yeah right.  Double mould lines across all the hair on it's shoulders and back?  Lovely.  Splendid.  Thanks.

I'm not sure how long I spent removing flash off this model.  An hour, maybe an hour and a half.  It's not finished yet.  I want to make a good job of it, so I'm making sure that I don't mess it up, or I'm trying to anyway.

Meanwhile one of the arms, the kit comes as 3 parts of resin which are the torso, legs and head in one lump and two arms and  his antlers and the smaller figure are made of metal, fits fairly well, the other does not and will need a lot of Green Stuff.  Probably too much for using Liquid green Stuff.

Rasputina based.

So, after a while I got fed up of removing flash and instead started to look at Rasputina and the contents of her Cult of December box set.

Rasputina herself comes with her arms separate.  Her tiny, tiny little arms..  still, she wasn't so bad and I got the arms on in a position that I like.  Her base, and indeed that of the Gamin I'll get to in a minute, will be a snow & rock theme.  Nothing unusual in that but I had no better ideas and it'll still look good enough if I can make a half decent job of it.

As you can see from the picture I've still a some flash to remove form her but nothing that shouldn't be quite easy to remove.

The Gamin are quite small models.  they're quite fun with some quirky poses.  Again they are on rocks and will be accompanied by snow once painted.

Rasputina and Ice Gamin

No Pictures of Snow storm, but then again there isn't much to see. When there is I'll post something.  Might be a while though with all the flash removal and green stuff required.

(Previously published elsewhere January 2012)

new crew

So, after Christmas brought nothing what so ever hobby wise I was left to my own devices as to which new crew to purchase next.  In the end there was only one choice for me, though Resers had been appealing to me for a while it was Arcanists that grabbed my attention when money was on the line.  So, Rasputina or Colette?  Well, Colette had been top of my list recently but, in the end, as per usual, fluff got the best of me.  That and the fact that I've always liked Rasputina, and I just love the SnowStorm model.

So, what did I get?  Here's my haul:

Cult of December box set, SnowStorm, Silent one, Hoarcat Pride and Essence of Power.
To me this was a combination of models I liked, Cult of December and things that are more strategic.
The Essence of Power is the strategic option.  I really like the Wendigo model but the EoP enhances Rasputinas casting more so is considered the better bet.
The Hoarcat pride is a model.fluffy choice.  Not generally found in tournament lists I like it and will in fact be getting a second set at some point as the benefit from more prides nearby.
SnowStorm was bought as it can be a strategical piece in large SS games but mostly 'cos I adore the model.  Can't wait to get it together and paint it.  It is an expensive piece SS wise at 11SS, so probably only for 35ss games and above I think.
Finally the silent one, again a lovely model that also enhances the team.
There are a number of models I want to add before I consider this crew complete, Gunsmith(s), Another Silent one , another Hoarcat Pride, and I want to add a Coryphee duet team to it, not a Cult model but something that can move fast, hit, then get out again will add a dimension to this team that it just doesn't have.  A mechanical rider might find it's way in at some point as well for similar reasons.
I'm also intending to add Kaeris at some point.

Now I need to start considering strategies and game plans. :-) Oh, and paint schemes. And basing ideas, with snow - obviously.

(Previously published elsewhere December 2011)